Deschutes Chainbreaker White IPA

Brewed By: Deschutes Brewing Company in Bend, Oregon

Purchased: 12oz bottle bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2015 

Style/ABV: White IPA, 5.6%
Reported IBUs: 55

The best part about hosting a party is being left with a fridge full of shelf turds. About Deschutes:

The Deschutes Brewing Company was founded by Gary Fish on June 27th, 1988, when they opened the doors to their Bond Street Public House pub. The brewery has since expanded, growing to be one of the top craft beer producers in America. The brewery also operates a pub in Portland, and has a dedicated brewing facility overlooking the Deschutes river. For more information, check out the brewery's website; their Facebook page; their Twitter; or Wikipedia. 

The Chainbreaker White IPA is a White IPA brewed with Pilsner, Wheat, Unmalted Wheat malts; Bravo, Citra, Centennial, and Cascade hops; and also has some sweet orange and coriander thrown into the mix.

Deschutes Chainbreaker White IPA

I love White IPAs. This is such an underrated style, so disclaimers up front, this is maybe my favorite shelf turd beer from Deschutes. The Chainbreaker pours into a hazy, unfiltered, conditioned body that is a radiant yellow-orange color, with a firm white head. There is tons of lacing, carbonation, and all that good stuff.

The aroma is a fantastic blend of Belgian yeast, spice, and tons of white pepper, black pepper, and BOLD pink peppercorns. Bright, sweet citrus comes forth, with oranges, tangerines, pineapple, peach, and some mango. The aroma also has some wheat notes, with a little Belgian funk that leans towards clove. It's just a fantastic fusion of that pink peppercorn spice with those bright citrus hops and complex Belgian yeast aromas. 

This tastes as good as the aroma, if not better. You get blasted with tons of sweet hops that dial up pineapple, sweet lemon, and bright oranges. There's a ton of black pepper in the taste, almost drawing up Saison comparisons. There's a good amount of clove funk, pink peppercorns, bold yeast character, and some biscuity/bready malts in the background. The hops are the main character, and they keep the beer bold and refreshing. The peppery spice rides the mids and back part of the beer, and help to dry everything out.

This is an impressively tight package. At 5.6%, this is super drinkable, and a lot of that is thanks to the impressive hop package. This is medium-light bodied, with good palate depth and good duration. This actually ratchets up the complexity beyond the usual 1-Dimensional Deschutes' approach. Up front: tons of delicious citrus, pineapple, bright hop notes; the mids roll into fantastic peppery spice, pink peppercorns, Belgian funk, some clove, more juicy hop goodness; the back end trials off with clean hops, lingering black pepper, and then it dries out with this Saison-like finish. It's just a well-done beer. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average here. This is an awesome beer, and maybe the only Deschutes beer I would seek out regularly and by the 6-pack. Fantastic stuff, really. It's veering into the land of a Saison...and to me....this is better than many of the Belgian IPAs. Really though, I would pair this with some peppery chicken/turkey. Or anything rustic. 

Random Thought: Shelf turds ftw. 

Penrose Fractal

Brewed By: Penrose Brewing Company in Geneva, IL  

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack bought at Bottles & Cans in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled 12/10/2014)

Style/ABV: Belgian India Pale Ale, 6.8%

Reported IBUs: 65

It's been a while since I have had anything from Penrose, and now they are bottling their beer, sooo.....about Penrose:

Penrose was founded by owner Eric Hobbs and partner/Brewmaster Tom Korder in early 2014. The duo are both former Goose Island employees, and they want to focus on brewing Belgian-inspired session ales, oak barrel-aged beer, beers that use alternative fermentation. Located in the lovely town of Geneva, Illinois, the brewery has a local element that is quaint and inviting. For more info, check out the brewery's website or their Facebook page. 

The Fractal is a Belgian IPA brewed with Columbus, Cascade, and Amarillo hops, 2-Row and Carapils malts, and Bastogne yeast.

Penrose Fractal

This is an orange-amber affair, kicking up a finger of candy orange-tinged head that leaves impressive lacing. This one doesn't look to hazy, but it's hard to say if it is filtered.

The aroma is a nice blend of citrus hops, pine, some mild onion/garlic, and lots of Belgian funk. I'm getting clove, yeasty esters, peppercorns, and some biscuity notes. It definitely smells like a Belgian IPA, fusing Belgian yeast with floral American hops. I am excite.

This is pretty solid for the style. I'm not sure where the onion/garlic hop notes are coming from. Maybe my palate is just shot for the night, but yeah. I'm getting a lot of garlic/onion. There are no Summit hops in here either, as far as I know. The good news is I love garlic and onion, and there is also a fair amount of citrus, pine, crisp hop goodness, and some Belgian clove and black pepper/pink peppercorns to go along for the ride. This has some yeasty esters, and enough funk to square it away as a Belgian IPA. It is also fairly easy-going, which I appreciate.

At 6.8%, I'm not getting any alcohol here. Palate depth is good, and this is pretty crisp and refreshing with a medium-light mouthfeel. This has good duration for the style, and has good complexity. As it warms up, it gets a little more Belgian-y, which is nice. Up front: citrus hops, onions/garlic, some burgeoning clove; the mids hit the clove and peppercorns hard, with some biscuit; the back end drives the biscuit and hops home. I actually really like this, but I'm having a hard time finding the nuances that elevate it above other stylistic examples. 

Rating: Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this beer. This is very solid, and I could see it being something I stock in my fridge semi-regularly. It's not blowing me away, however. Having said that, I think this has serious food potential. I could pair this with some buffalo wings, or maybe some pork tacos. Pretty solid stuff, all things considered, and you can't beat the price.

Random Thought: I am balls to the walls nuts. Yarrr.  

Penrose Desirous

Brewed By: Penrose Brewing Company in Geneva, IL  

Purchased: 64oz Growler bought at Penrose in Geneva, IL; 2014 

Style/ABV: White IPA, 6.2%

Reported IBUs: 60

Penrose is the latest brewery in the ever-increasing landscape of Illinois breweries. And that's okay with me. Illinois is a big place, home to many big towns. Penrose is situated in the quaint town of Geneva, about 60 to 90 minutes outside of Chicago depending on if you drive, take the train, or get caught in traffic (who am I kidding; if you hit Chicago rush hour, it could take you three hours to get to Penrose from downtown). 

Penrose opened its door to the public about two months ago, and I have been hearing noise about the brewery from various social media sources, as well as from this great write-up in the Chicago Reader. There was also a good article in The Chicagoist, as well as one in the Chicago Tribune. 

Penrose: dat logo

I guess the real question is: what sets Penrose apart from all the other new breweries in Illinois? Founder/owner Eric Hobbs and Brewmaster Tom Korder have an interesting perspective, so that's a good start. The duo want to focus on making high-quality, Belgian-inspired beers. Their ace-in-the-hole: an emphasis on beers with alcohol content bordering between sessionable and medium-strength. I found this to be a refreshing change of pace as I quaffed their Devoir, a bright and refreshing table Saison clocking in at 4.3%. The duo bring tons of experience to the table. Founder Eric Hobbs worked for years with Goose Island on the sales side. Tom Korder worked as Goose Island's brewery operations manager AND headed up their barrel program. That's nothing to scoff at. 

I'll try to sandwich some of my thoughts about my trip to Penrose within this review. Because I'm a thoughtful guy like that. Oh, and the tl;dr -- about Penrose:

Penrose was founded by owner Eric Hobbs and partner/Brewmaster Tom Korder in early 2014. The duo are both former Goose Island employees, and they want to focus on brewing Belgian-inspired session ales, oak barrel-aged beer, beers that use alternative fermentation. Located in the lovely town of Geneva, Illinois, the brewery has a local element that is quaint and inviting. For more info, check out the brewery's website or their Facebook page. 

The Penrose Desirous is a limited-release (for now) White IPA described as having floral hops, orange zest aromas, and citrusy hop goodness and coriander bitterness throughout. This one features Pilsner malts; Columbus, Cascade, and Amarillo hops; and Forbidden Fruit yeast.  

Penrose Desirous

This one pours into a cloudy/hazy yellow body, kicking up a finger of white, Belgian-esque head. This is a juicy beer in appearance, with good carbonation. There is some lacing, and the beer retains a hazy coating of head as the beer settles in. Even from the growler, this holds up in presentation.

The aromas here are bright, vibrant, and refreshing. Fresh. Right up front, especially when the beer is fresh on the pour, you get big citrus. Namely sliced pineapple, resinous orange and tangerine, and hints of tropical fruit. If you camp on the nose, you start to get some Belgian funk, bubblegum, and banana. There's a lot of banana, bubblegum, and clove on the nose. There's also a really nice bready/creamy heaviness that I can't quit finger...just blissful malt integration. Some coriander and white pepper show up for good measure too.

Penrose offers flights and full-glass pours. Of the beers they had available -- and I tried them all -- the White IPA was definitely towards the higher end of the ABV spectrum. But even at 6.2%, this beer goes down with refreshing smoothness. There's a touch of crisp, watery refreshness, hoppy spice and pepper, crisp cracker and biscuit, and big floral hops on the finish. If you want to get into specifics, I'm getting a lot of sliced pineapple in here. It's a delicious, sweet pineapple note. There's also some resinous citrus in here, ala orange and tangerine and grapefruit. This is spicy with citrus zest, coriander, and white pepper. I'm also getting mild bubblegum and clove.

In terms of mouthfeel, this is medium-light, carbonated, and refreshing. The 6.2% is nowhere to be seen, and you can definitely clear a growler of this stuff in a day or two. Palate depth is spot on, and the complexity is pretty good. The whole White IPA style is kind of meh. Don't we have American Wheat Ales and Belgian IPAs? I guess this kind of blurs the line between the two, so update your style guidelines. Up front: an explosion of citrus and gentle Belgian funk, stone fruits, pineapple; the mids roll into more pineapple, some resin, peppery citrus spice, growing bitterness; the back end drops a little cracker and biscuit, with trailing pineapple and orange. Just refreshing and clean and drinkable. It begs for a 6-pack format.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average here. Per my notes at the bar, this is how I rated it then and this is how I'm going to rate it now. It's just a very well-executed beer without any particular bells and whistles that elevate it to some sort of national must-have status. Having said that, this is elegant and drinkable and quite tasty. I really hope they get this into cans or bottles for consumption, I would buy this again for the warmer months. Food pairings here have to include fruit salads, ceviche, sushi, and anything slanting towards the warmer weather. Pineapple upside down cake would be my dessert pairing.

Random Thought: Penrose itself is somewhat small, and I suspect they will fill up during busy hours. Fortunately, I have already seen their beer on tap at various watering holes in Chicago. Geneva is a cute little town with tons of food stops and scenery to check out. So your best bet is to get some food in your tummy, go get a few beers at Penrose, and then top it off with one of the many nearby restaurants. When I make the trip back up to Penrose, I will probably do so by Metra. 

Ale Asylum Bedlam! IPA

Brewed By: Ale Asylum in Madison, Wisconsin

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Sheridan 'L' Longue in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Belgian IPA, 7.5% 
Reported IBUs: ?

Friday was the release of Half Acre's Galactic Double Daisy Cutter. Apparently there was a line of people out the door. That's just cray-cray. Anyway, since I missed that Midwest Shelf Turd, I grabbed today's beer to fill that aching hole in my soul. About Ale Asylum: 

Ale Asylum is a brewery based out of Madison, Wisconsin. The brewery was founded in 2006, and brews unfiltered and natural beer using only water, malt, hops, and yeast. For more information about the brewery, check out their Facebook page or their Website. 

The Bedlam! IPA is a Belgian IPA of sorts. This is described as, "A chaotic blend of Citra hops and Belgian-style yeast give this Belgian IPA aromas of summer fruit with a bright hop presence and a plush finish." This one is available year round on tap and in 6-packs throughout Wisconsin and Illinois. Punching in at 7.5%, this should be delicious. 

Ale Asylum Bedlam! IPA

The Bedlam pours into a deep, hazy, unfiltered orange body, and kicks up two to three fingers of amber/orange-tinted head. The head is fluffy and sustaining, and it leaves lots of lacing on the edges; like an IPA should. In bright light this is a juicy orange color, with rising carbonation and a wispy head hanging around. You can't beat the appearance here, so it's a shame that how a beer looks means little to nothing at all.

The aroma here is massively citrus-forward, with huge Citra blasts of tangerine, orange, grass, and pine. Along with the blasts of citrus are tons of spicy and funky Belgian notes. I'm getting yeast, clove, pepper, barnyard, and some light non-Brett band-aid funk. It smells funky, but it also smells big and hoppy, and clean and refreshing.

The taste is a nice follow through of the nose, with huge citrus and orange notes backed up by phenolic, fruity, and spicy Belgian yeast. There's melon notes, grass, apricot, light pineapple and tropical fruit, big tangerine, orange, tons of peppery spice, and lots of Belgian fruitiness. The barnyard in the aroma comes through a bit in the finish, and the finish is grassy, peppery, and clean. 

There is an elegant simplicity to this beer, but it's also pretty bold and refreshing. Citra hops can do wonderful things to a beer. You don't get the 7.5% here, and this is clean and refreshing and drinkable. You probably want to pace yourself with this, but you could drink two or three of these in a sitting, easy. With a medium-light mouthfeel, this has tons of carbonation and hop bitterness to smooth things out. Palate depth is okay, and complexity is okay as well. This would otherwise be average for the style if not for the huge blast of citrus you get. Up front is an assault of peppery oranges, tangerine, melon, grass, apricot, light pineapple hints; the mids hit some biscuit and more tropical fruits, mixed with some Belgian funk and grass/hay; the back end dials up the grass, lingering cracker/biscuit as it warms, and a dry, spicy, hoppy finish. It's refreshing and impressionable. 

Rating: Above-Average

I'd put this on the same level as the Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA, so a Strong Above-Average. This isn't a game changer, and it's not mind blowing. But it's a really, really solid Belgian IPA that goes above average by using the Citra hop to its full potential. There's a lot of bold, refreshing citrus on display here...making this one of the most refreshing and enjoyable Belgian IPAs I have come across. This is the perfect beer to drink on warm Summer days, and this would pair well with white fish, grilled chicken, fruit salads, heavy "patio food" like loaded baked potato salad and brats, and anything lightly spicy. This beer isn't very bitter, so the fruity hops and low bitterness suggest NOT pairing this beer with spicy foods. Go with the sweeter and lighter pairings. I'd pick this up again: recommended. 

Random Thought: I went to a wine tasting even on Saturday at Union Station with over 200 wines (or something, whatever). It was a blast, especially since I'm not really a wine drinker. I was able to sample quite a few wines...but sadly I didn't learn too much. I still prefer a nice Cab, and I love wines that have spent time in oak. An oaky white gets me going. Anyway, we started drinking around 1:30pm, and followed the wine tasting up with dinner. At dinner I order two beers, alcoholic that I am. Needless to say, by 8pm I was ready to sleep, and by 12midnight I was feeling the full-on effects of my day of drinking. I had a nifty headache and mild disorientation. I guess you'd call it a hangover, but it wasn't morning. And thank goodness for that, as I was able to pop an Advil, drink some water, and jump back into bed. I woke up feeling like a champion, and here we are. I'm sure my run tomorrow will make me pay. Woo. 

Stone Cali-Belgique IPA (Cali-België)

Brewed By: Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, California

Purchased: 22oz bottle from Binny's in Illinois; 2012

Style/ABV: Belgian IPA, 6.9% 

 

It's been a while since I've had a Belgian IPA. The last two I reviewed were Lagunitas A Little Sumpin’ Wild Ale and New Belgium's Belgo. Belgian IPAs are a newer style of beer that is being brewed by a large number of brewers, mostly from America and Belgium. This style of beer combines American hops with Belgian yeast, to create a beer that has citrus and floral flavors, along with those big Belgian yeast notes and Belgian spice. Many Belgian IPAs are bottle conditioned, and this style is typically clean, bitter, and dry; it should have a fairly high ABV; and should have many IPA qualities, like a solid head with good lacing. I'm a big fan of this style, and look forward to Stone's take on it.

Stone Brewing are one of the more prominent breweries in the American craft brewing scene. They were founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California, and moved to Escondido, California where they recently expanded their operations. Stone was founded by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch. Koch has a reputation among the craft beer community for voicing his opinion, not putting up with shit, and standing behind his beer.

If you check out the Cali-Belgique page, you can get the basic information for this beer. Apparently, "Belgique" is how Belgium's French-speaking peeps say the word "Belgian." The Dutch say "België." This beer uses a Belgian yeast strain, and is basically Stone's IPA brewed with that yeast strain. Clocking in at 6.9% ABV, and packing 77 IBUs, this beer uses Columbus (pleasant, pungent), Chinook (spicy, piney, grapefruit), and Centennial (floral, citrus) hops.

My bottle says: "Enjoy til 12/29/12." So it should be good. With that said...into the glass....and on with my thoughts.

Stone Cali-Belgique IPA (Cali-België)

The beer pours a golden-bronze color, almost like apple juice, with 2 to 3 finger's worth of white, fluffly head. The head is really hanging around, as several minutes later there is still one finger of fluffy head on this. You see a lot of carbonation, in the form of a constant stream of small to mid-sized bubbles. When held to bright light, this is a filtered and clear yellow/gold beer; just a touch darker than a Pilsner or American Lager. The head is creamy and thick, and pulling on the glass leaving some nice lacing. [You get some really nice lacing on this as you drink your way down.]

The aroma on this is absolutely stellar, with big Belgian funk up front, and lots of fresh hop aromas. I get Belgian yeast, hay, barnyard, bubble gum, some vanilla and clove spice, citrus, oranges, and some slightly resiny pine. There is maybe a hint of peppery spice. Overall, the nose is really pleasant, funky, and hoppy.

The taste on this is fairly bitter and hoppy up front, with lots of fresh citrus, lemon, orange, and sweeter and less bitter grapefruit. There's maybe some resinous pine, and the whole thing is very clean. You do get some peppery spice in here, likely from the yeast. Around all the hop freshness is some Belgian funk, with some hints of clove, barnyard, and fruity Belgian yeast notes.

This has a champagne-like dryness about it, and it drinks sort of like a champagne with a lot of bubbly carbonation, and big dryness. Overall, this is super clean, refreshing, and drinkable stuff. At 6.9% ABV, this is big enough to probably stand up to some intense food, and the hops and champagne-dryness will provide a great palate cleanser. This has a medium-light mouthfeel, with superb palate depth, and moderate complexity. Up front I get refreshing, carbonation, light hoppiness (earthy, floral, pleasant citrus); the middle rolls into some Belgian funk and peppery spice, resiny pine, more bitter citrus; the back end is peppery spice, hop dryness, pine, slight resin, dryness.

Rating: Above-Average

This is easily a Strong Above-Average for. This is a really well done Belgian IPA...and while it's not lifting my skirt up for its complexity, it absolutely smashes balance and drinkability. This is such a refreshing beer, and it doesn't overdo it with the peppery spice or the hoppiness. At 6.9% ABV...this just coats the mouth with hop goodness, and leaves some Belgian funk as well. Really, you can't go wrong with this beer, and you should definitely check it out. As far as food pairings? Pizza, a burger, a chicken sandwich...anything that goes well with pepper, really. You could even put this with some spicy pasta, or even some Chinese food. If you haven't snagged a bottle of this beer, definitely check it out.

I will state: this is a "fridge" beer. That is, this is a beer you always want in your fridge. It really has that level of drinkability and accessibility, and you can happily pair this beer with a wide variety of foods. I find that many of Stone's beers are "fridge" beers. Fortunately, Stone's beer are usually in stock everywhere, so you can typically buy them on a moment's notice.

Lastly...for a 77 IBU beer, this is not that bitter. Maybe I've just spoiled my palate with all those crazy-ass, extreme Imperial IPAs. Oh well.

Lagunitas A Little Sumpin’ Wild Ale

Brewed By: Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma, California

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-Pack from Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2011

Style/ABV: Belgian IPA? Belgian Strong Ale?, 9.4%

 

Not long ago I reviewed Lagunitas A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale. A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale is an IPA brewed with wheat, and I found it to be full of bright fruit flavors, fresh, funky, and refreshing. Tonight I am reviewing the "Wild" version of the Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale. 

A Little Sumpin’ Wild Ale is brewed with Malted Wheat and Belgian Yeast. These ingredients are on top of all the big hops present in the beer. So what we have here is a beer with huge hops, wheat, and huge Belgian yeasts. This is a wildly complex beer with huge fruity notes and lots of spiciness. This beer clocks in at a mean 9.4% ABV, and packs 72.51 IBUs. That's bitter. For all intents and purposes, I want to say this is a "Belgian IPA" or a "Belgian Specialty Ale."

Let's dive in and see what we have.

*    *    *    *    *    *

 

The pour is wonderful, and the beer has a gorgeous 4-finger, super creamy, super thick, sustaining, off-white head. The head is slightly eggshell, straw or orange in color. The body of the beer is a straw-orange-light color. The beer is fairly clear and looks to be semi-filtered at least, and there is moderate to high carbonation. The head is super thick and creamy, leaves giant lacing, and is sustaining! I cannot believe a 9.4% ABV beer has a head hanging around for this long.

Lagunitas A Little Sumpin’ Wild Ale

The nose is super bright, fresh, funky, fun. Giant citrus notes and candied citrus dominate the nose: candied oranges, grapefruit, tangerines. There are pulls towards melon, honey dew, and peaches. There are huge spiced notes, including lots of pepper. There is a hint of wheat and grass, and some hints of Belgian funk. There's even a WTF-hint of bread or toast. Why drink this beer when you can smell it?

The first sip is just an overwhelmingly complex blast of smoothness, carbonation, bitterness, hops, wheat, some Belgian funk, candied fruits, spiciness, bright overripe fruits, and light malt softness. There is hop bitterness: grapefruit, tangerine, oranges. There are big peppery spices. Perfume and floral notes dominate, along with candied oranges. I get melon and honey dew on the back. There is some soft malt in here in the form of light bread or caramel. I'm picking up hints of wheat. Bubblegum, Belgian yeast funk, spent bubble gum (the bitter flavor you get when you chew a piece of gum for a long time). Pulls towards tropical fruits: mango, star fruit. Super bitter, bright, yeasty-funky, hints of wheat and malt.

This is a full-bodied, overly complex beer. There is so much going on here. Surprisingly, all the voices work together in this beer in a Belgian IPA kind of way. This is predominately hoppy, spicy, and bright with overripe fruits and funk. The front end is smooth, carbonated, juicy, bright, and bitter: big hop notes, melons. This rolls into spices, more bitterness, wheat, malts. The finish is melon, hints of booze, bitter drying. This is a big beer at 9.4%, but it drinks clean and you hardly notice the booze. The only thing that will slow you down when you drink this is complexity and the bitterness.

Rating: Above-Average

Score: 89%

 

In my opinion, this is a Belgian IPA. And in my opinion, this is better than the regular A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale. The addition of Belgian yeast adds a level of spiciness that compliments the hops and the fruit notes, and really brightens the beer.  

This is better than the New Belgium Belgo by leaps and bounds. This is much more balanced, brighter, and doesn't beat you over the head with spices. My only issue is that with all the components playing tug-of-war with your palate, it becomes slightly muddy. For me, this would not work as an everyday beer. This beer hits a very specific "spot." But when I'm in the mood for a mesh of IPA and Belgian Spice, I know where I will look.

New Belgium Lips of Faith - Belgo IPA

Brewed By: New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado

Purchased: Single bottle (12oz) from a 6-pack from Jewel-Osco in Illinois; 2011

Style/ABV: Belgian IPA, 7.0% 

7.0% ABV...see?

New Belgium Brewing semi-recently rolled out their "Lips of Faith" series of beer. The Lips of Faith series is New Belgium's super-cool collection of exotic beers featuring Belgian influences, barrel aging, exotic spicing, and exotic ingredients. This will be my first Lips of Faith beer, and also my first Belgian IPA. Belgian IPAs are a newer style beer being brewed by a wide range of brewers mostly from America and Belgium. The style of beer combines citrus and floral American hops with Belgian yeast strains, and many of these beers are often bottle conditioned. This style should be clean, bitter, and dry; should have fairly high ABV; and have a solid head with good lacing.

I've already had a few of these New Belgium Belgo IPAs, and I found it to be quite bubbly and effervescent. My opinion is that this beer tastes like a really strong and citrusy IPA combined with a Belgian Tripel; Tripels are somewhat pale/tart/hoppy and dry, and this beer seems to roll a lot of those qualities into a nice package.

There is a little confusion with today's beer: New Belgium's website lists it at 8.0% ABV. They also were selling these beers exclusively as single-bottle ventures (I believe, at least). But I have a 6-pack here, and the beer I am holding is clocking in at 7.0% ABV. New Belgium's website says this beer is brewed using Simcoe, Centennial, Cascade and Amarillo hops; so lots of fragrant and citrusy punch is to be expected. The beer is also brewed with pale and honey malt, which lends some of those Tripel and Belgian qualities. They also imply that this beer uses an "authentic Trappist yeast strain," so it should have a nice Belgian funk. 

New Belgium Belgo IPA

The beer pours with a really nice 2-finger, foamy, off-white head. This head is somewhere between eggshell and white and has quite a bit of bubbles in it. There is also a lot of carbonation activity between where the head and the body meet, and as the head diminishes it is leaving nice lacing on the glass. This beer is golden-orange or golden-yellow in appearance, with more gold than amber. It is semi-transparent so that you can see the carbonation but you cannot see through it. It looks to be semi-hazy and unfiltered. The short version is that this is a bubbly, effervescent, gold-orange looking beer: it reminds me a bit of a Tripel.

The nose of this beer is a combination between the big yeasty and spicy notes you find in a Tripel, and the hoppy citrus notes you find in an IPA. There is a ton of coriander and pepper on the nose; orange and grapefruit which is sweeter than bitter; maybe some clove and sugar; and just some good funky yeast. 

As far as taste goes, the bitterness catches up to you on your palate, and you do pick up the 70 IBUs. This beer tastes a lot more hop-forward, with a big punchy orange rind flavor which seems to blend well with the peppery Belgian notes. This is a predominately hoppy beer with lots of orange, and maybe some grapefruit and tangerine, and tons of peppery spice.

The front end of the palate is carbonated and refreshing with lots of hops and pepper on the tongue. The middle is smooth and features more pepper and citrus, with the addition of some clove. The back end is citrusy and slightly drying. Overall this is a medium-bodied beer with a slightly thin and near-watery profile. It's quite spicy and hoppy, but has just moderate depth. This also is not overly complex, especially considering the mesh of ingredients. 

Rating: Average

Score: 73%

This is an interesting beer...it is very peppery and hoppy. There's a lot of overtones of a Tripel, but the hops really come forward and dominate. I would call this an IPA with Belgian overtones. This beer masks its alcohol well, and the 70 IBUs aren't bothersome. The lacing is gorgeous and present, and there is a thin coating of head from top to bottom which is nice to see. I think this is a solid execution of the style, but this beer is a bit thin in some regards and not as complex or life-changing as I would imagine a Belgian IPA to be. Because of this I would definitely recommend you try this out, and I think this would make a great standby. But as far as going above and beyond...this beer didn't blow me away.

Good. Solid. Spicy and citrusy. A bit thin in the body and not overly complex, this is a good standby but not a life changer. Pick it up and try out the style, or pick it up if you want a really well-priced (8 or 9 bucks) 6-pack of something with good flavor and a nice ABV kick. Check it out.